[Part 2/4]
"Yeah. ...Let's go."
Finishing tidying up, she gathered her hair, stood up, and turned on her heels. She opened the shoji paper door, but before taking a step outside, she looked back.
"I'm off."
"Sure thing. Take care."
She replied to the call and felt a push on her back, prompting Tamaki to leave the room.
The anxiety about the uncertain future that she had felt just a moment ago... She no longer held onto it.
"Finally, you've arrived. You're late, you know? Always prepare early. Especially you, Shirowakamaru-san, I mean, you're in a position where you're accompanying her. It's only proper for you to arrive ahead of time!!"
It was half past four in the afternoon. The place was the backyard of the finest inn in the City. The daughter of Ako, who was dressed as a young samurai, scolded the two companions who had finally arrived.
"S-Sorry! I did try to prepare early, though..."
Apologizing in a fluster, Tamaki, who was dressed in a similar attire as a young samurai, was a noble-looking young man, but she felt both embarrassed and puzzled inside.
Certainly, what Murasaki said was correct. It was partly her fault for having a long conversation with her friend just before, and the reason Murasaki had to travel in the first place was due to Tamaki's stubbornness. Based on reason, Tamaki waiting ahead of time would have been the courteous thing to do, and Murasaki's reprimand was also quite natural... if one had been waiting there for an hour or so before the agreed time.
"..."
Shirowakamaru responded with a silent. She had known long before that Murasaki had been waiting alone and feeling rather pathetic as she checked her appearance multiple times in the pond's reflection. Her behavior was even endearing to the point of being annoying. ...And if you're so concerned about your hair, deal with that idiotic cowlick (ahoge) at the top of your head first.
By the way, this former child was dressed in a women's kimono, a stark contrast to the two girls who were cross-dressing as young men. Holding a cane, wearing a hat, and with her appearance mostly hidden under loose clothing.
If she were to defend the differences in their disguises, it wasn't about personal taste but had rational reasons. Except for exorcists who always prioritize spiritual power and abilities over age and gender, there's a deeply rooted tendency toward male dominance and female subservience among ordinary people. Concealing their status as exorcists was necessary when they disguised themselves. Cross-dressing was essential for Tamaki to openly carry a sword, and it made sense for Shirowakamaru, as a curse caster, to wear a loose women's kimono with enough space to embed curse tools and talismans throughout her body.
...So, there's no way that Shirowakamaru's request to hide her appearance with her hair done up and makeup meticulously applied was due to her personal preferences.
"Ahem! Well, alright...!! Your abilities and personalities were already evident in Hieda County. I don't expect much from you two, who are relatively new household members!! My master must have known that when she assigned me!!"
While Shirowakamaru had such thoughts, the complaining Ako's daughter seemed to regain her mood after a moment and began to take charge again. She might even bring up the previous incident.
"Well then, time is limited. Let's head to the investigation quickly!"
With that, she turned on her heels and started walking towards the city... while swinging her oddly-shaped cowlick.
"Um... Shall we go, then?"
"If you have any other options, go ahead."
Tamaki and Shirowakamaru exchanged glances and with an indescribable air between them, followed after Sumire.
"Whoa!!?"
"Ah, watch out!!"
Immediately after, Murasaki stumbled over a banana peel that had somehow been on the ground, but Tamaki and Shirowakamaru quickly supported her from behind, preventing her from falling. It was a minor incident.
To say "investigation" was easy with words. The problem was how to investigate the bustling Shiromoku city, where the population exceeded seventy thousand on paper alone, and in reality, it would be even more considering refugees, temporary resident merchants, and travelers.
"It would be meaningless to search randomly without a plan."
As she walked through the city, the former child muttered. As Ako's daughter had mentioned, time was limited. And when it came to manpower, the mayor and the White Dog Tribe had more than ten times the resources they could mobilize. Searching haphazardly would most likely be in vain.
"Normally, you'd just use various curse techniques for item-finding. But it seems they're using Disruptive Curse Art?"
"...Yeah. The upper echelons believe that the curse caster from Miyataka who was witnessed is the one behind it. The information we've received confirms that."
Slightly delayed, Shirowakamaru answered Murasaki's question. This former child had established soundproof boundaries around herself to guard against eavesdropping and third-party surveillance, and she also kept her vigilance with overhead surveillance using spells. This occasionally made her reactions slightly sluggish due to distraction.
"Miyataka, huh... Hey, what kind of family is Miyataka?"
Suddenly, Tamaki voiced her curiosity and asked the question. She had frequently heard that name, and Miyataka seemed to have deep connections with the Onitsuki family, as evidenced by their involvement in this Joraku expedition. However, Tamaki knew very little about them.
"Miyataka? Well, um, they're known as a prestigious family in the Northern region, and so..."
"The Miyataka family. It's a lineage known for its exorcist heritage, which dates back nearly two hundred years further than the Onitsuki family, making them one of the prominent exorcist families in the Northern region and recognized as masters of forbidden arts."
While Murasaki hurriedly recollected what she knew, Shirowakamaru, who couldn't help herself, cut in and explained. Shirowakamaru's explanation was detailed, but she managed to summarize what she knew.
"Forbidden arts...?"
"Yes. They refer to curses that go beyond human ethics and morality even within Curse Art. The concept of forbidden arts has a set of criteria established by the imperial court, but even before that, the Miyataka family's practices were considered so vile that they were labeled as such."
Shirowakamaru continued. Later, when the imperial court formally defined curses that fell under the category of forbidden arts and ordered each exorcist family to renounce any practices that violated those curses, the majority of the family's practices turned out to be in violation. They attempted various tactics to evade this due to the familial practices that had been passed down, but because they violated the ban in many ways, they were rather blatant.
They must have been skilled in political strategy. Skillfully manipulating words, distorting interpretations, obscuring details—the family managed to escape the prohibition of the majority of their practices. Still, even practices that they couldn't hide completely were rumored to be used covertly beneath the surface.
"While it's true that every family has one or two practices they keep hidden, the Ako family, which reported all of its practices honestly, is a different story. But there's never been a case this severe before. Not only the practices themselves, but due to their tenacity and cleverness, they're both respected and despised with great fear in society."
"Right, I see—Huh? Did you just say something bad about our family?"
Forgetting that her conversation had been interrupted earlier, Murasaki listened to Shirowakamaru's explanation in astonishment. She gazed in amazement, then tilted her head as if she had just noticed, but Shirowakamaru elegantly ignored it.
"Yeah, well... Anyway, that's it. The curse caster from Miyataka who was witnessed this time, are they using such techniques?"
Tamaki also nervously held her breath as she listened to Shirowakamaru's explanation and timidly asked. In response to Tamaki's words, the former child frowned in what appeared to be disdain.
"...The individual in question is considered a direct member of the Miyataka family lineage. They were part of an Omnyouji Bureau division under the formal affiliation of the Miyataka family. They should have been detained in the capital city by right..."
The representative of Miyataka's Joraku expedition, who had been summoned yesterday night, stated that they hadn't sensed the presence of a family member appearing in the Shiromoku city.
"I don't know the specifics, but apparently, even within the Miyataka family, this person handles particularly specialized techniques. Because of these techniques, they were being held by the Omnyouji Bureau."
Therefore, the situation was even more problematic. If the claim that this family member had appeared in the city on their own authority was true, then it would mean they were going against the imperial court's orders. They could have faced punishment.
"Idiot. Is that person from Miyataka so foolish to engage in such a dreadful act?"
Ako's daughter took the situation particularly seriously. To the members of the Ako family, who had faithfully served and displayed loyalty to the imperial court for many years, this was an almost unbelievable story.
"...We're skipping the formalities and directly asking the truth from the capital. Nothing is confirmed yet."
Still, considering the reputation of the individual in question, Shirowakamaru had a feeling that they wouldn't receive an honest answer. Even among the Miyataka family, there were rumors of troublemakers, despised offspring, and vile individuals.
(...Well, then again, I can't trust that information completely.)
She had heard of their notoriety, but at the same time, they were valued by the imperial court and were being dispatched for a specific purpose. Considering that, personal issues didn't matter much. Whether the shameless rumors were entirely true or not, it made no difference. Furthermore, there was even a possibility that they were using those rumors as a disguise.
"At any rate, it's best not to be careless when we make contact. While they're not suited for combat, there are many underhanded tactics they can employ."
"In case it comes down to a battle?"
Murasaki reacted to Shirowakamaru's words. It was as if she was anticipating a confrontation with a certain someone from the Miyataka family.
"It's just a possibility. If they've abducted the Ezo princess, we'll have to use appropriate measures to retrieve her. It's only natural to prepare for the worst, don't you think?"
"I hope everything can end without any trouble..."
With a cold gaze that seemed to say, "Prepare for that level of possibility," Shirowakamaru muttered, looking at Murasaki. Tamaki frowned as she listened to the conversation. She did want to become strong enough to protect those around her, but she had no intention of hurting anyone. It was one thing if she was dealing with a man-eating monster, but hurting each other among humans...
"Hm, hmph! I'm prepared for anything! After all, a member of the Ako family won't fall behind when it comes to combat against someone who's not used to fighting!!"
The possibility of violence was now known. Nevertheless, Murasaki maintained her tough demeanor. She claimed that among the sword techniques of the Ako family, there were many techniques suited for capturing, and she declared it somewhat quickly.
"If push comes to shove... Well, there's no choice. Tamaki-san, you should step back! The same goes for you, Shirowakamaru-san. The two of you will just be a hindrance. I'll apprehend them on my own!!"
Murasaki made a strong declaration. However, the truth was that among the three individuals gathered here, she had the most experience in combat. She was confident that she would undoubtedly be victorious if a direct confrontation took place. And that wasn't a lie.
...Although just a moment ago, the possibility of underhanded tactics had been discussed, but it seemed to escape her consideration.
"...I'll leave the handling of that situation to you. Let's get back to the topic. The problem is how we can locate the princess and the curse caster."
"...What should we do?"
As Shirowakamaru returned the conversation to its core, Tamaki's face displayed anxiety. For a brief moment, Shirowakamaru's gaze held a hint of disdain towards Tamaki's worry. She then took out a folded piece of paper from her pocket.
"...Is this... a map?"
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